3 am Wake Up Call
by Tonks32
Summary: Beckett's day started lounging on the couch with her husband and being lazy. It doesn't stay that way for long. Set in the Am Universe
1. 9 AM Interruption

So my plan was always to do the Bracken take down set in this universe, but I figured that I needed to do the Simmons episode to make things flow better. Now the time line of this series is getting a little confusing even for me. I know I put 4 am seven years after 2am, so I would make this roughly about a year and a half after the wedding story. The wedding story was set a few months after the last chapter of 2 am. I'm not sure if this helps or making things more confusing! :D. Anyways I hop you enjoy this.

* * *

"This is heaven." Beckett sighed snuggling as close as she could in her husband's arms. They were lounging on the couch, her back against his chest both reading their perspective books. She pressured her husband into letting her read the latest Nikki Heat novel while he chose the latest Patterson book.

Smiling, Castle placed his reader aside so he was free to wrap his arms around her midsection, "What? Not working and spending the day with your husband?"

"No, No. Not that."

He looked up wounded, "No?"

"No, that's not- I mean not only that." Twisting, she looked back at him with a warm smile, "It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon. I'm in my PJs. And we are reading, something I never get to do."

Castle tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, "Because you haven't taken time off since…" He caught himself before he could finish the sentence. They were having a blissful moment. There was no need to drudge up memories they would rather forget.

"There's no work." Beckett defended herself acting like she didn't notice the slight hitch in his voice, "No goals than to waste hours on end doing nothing."

"Well, we don't have to be just doing nothing." Grinning like the chester cat, the writer wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Mother is out for the day."

"What are we waiting for?" Laughing, she untangled herself from her husband and started towards the bedroom. They only got a few feet before her phone came to life.

Castle groaned, nearly bowling her over, "Worst timing ever."

Back tracking to pick her cell up off the coffee table, Beckett checked the ID before pulling it to her ear. "Beckett." She did her best to concentrate on the captain's voice and not her husband's actions in front of her. It took great restraint not to punch him when he gestured to his watch before pointing to the bedroom. "Sir, I'm not actually on call today… Oh Okay. Give me twenty minutes…. Yes sir."

"Oh, come on!" Castle deflated. Trying to keep his displeasure light and humors, he dragged a hand through his thick mane of hair. They'd been unconsciously trying to get pregnant again. Something that wasn't actually verbalized since they lost the second baby. It seemed they were at the point that if they were to conceive again then so be it. If not there were other options they could take. "So we got a case?"

"Umm... no." Beckett corrected leading him into the bedroom to change still unsure of how to take Gates request. Her first thought went to Alexis. Had something happened to her? Or Martha? Her mother-in-law went to the acting school early this morning and that was the last either of them heard from the woman. What about Jeremy? The young man was still in the academy, but that didn't mean something terrible could've happened. "She just needs to talk to me. Maybe about finally signing up for the Lieutenant exam I've been pushing off."

"And that couldn't wait?"

Beckett shrugged, "She wanted me in now. I'll be back in a couple hours." She took a moment to give him a smacking kiss, "We'll pick up where we left off."

Castle pouted, "Promise?"

"Promise."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Oh, Lanie." Surprised to see the ME, Beckett held the door until Lanie joined her. "What are you doing here? Esposito has today off, doesn't he?"

"Took Ryan's shift to give him the afternoon to spend with Jenny since her parents have the twins." Lanie pressed the button to the homicide floor. "You still up for dress shopping this weekend."

Beckett suppressed a groan. As maid of honor, she was obligated to let Lanie drag her from store to store for what she needed for the wedding. With every flower and every dress that her best friend dragged her to look, it made Beckett more and more grateful that she chose a shotgun wedding. All of this planning did nothing but exhaust her and it wasn't even her wedding. "Name the time and place."

"You look like you're going to the dentist." Lanie pointed out. "Can you at least pretend to enjoy it on Saturday?"

"I'll do my best."

The elevator chimed and the two women stepped out only to freeze at the massive amount bustling around the bull pen.

"Yo, Beckett!"

Beckett caught sight of both Esposito and Ryan down the hall clearly annoyed with all the action going on. "Hey-." Her head whipped around, "Is that the Deputy Commissioner? And aren't you suppose to have the afternoon off, Ryan?"

The Irish detective shrugged obviously not pleased about the fact he wasn't with his wife. "I got called it. Something is going on."

"That's an understatement." He watched his soon to be wife bypass them, casting him a soft smile, before disappearing into one of the conference rooms. "There's been more brass through here than a marching band."

"What's going on?" At least she wouldn't be breaking any bad news to her husband.

"Detective." Gates poked her head out of the work room seeking out the trio. She pointed, "Beckett."

Uh-oh. Giving the boys a weary look, Beckett complied with her boss's request. A man waited in the office. "Sir?" The hairs on the back of her neck stood for some reason. Her day was about to get very interesting.

"Detective Beckett, Captain Fowler - head of Narcotics." Gates introduced and let the captain take over.

"Thank you for coming, Detective." Fowler started glancing towards the door, "What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room."

Beckett nodded, "Understood, sir."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Castle moved along the wall, staying low to the ground as possible. The smaller he was the smaller the area his opponent had to try to hit. Trying to judge where that person might be was a bust. Looks like he was going in blind. Readjusting his grip on his weapon, the writer leapt out from the safety of his hiding spot shooting blindly. He stumbled and sprawled face first on the ground. Well, he never was known for his grace and agility.

"Gotcha!"

The vest he wore buzzed and blue lights started dancing. Groaning, he let his daughter gloat in the form of a victory dance. Pride and a bit of back pain kept him down. "I request a do-over!"

"Why?" Alexis danced circles around him, "Because you tripped? Not my fault you're losing your eyesight at your old age."

Castle huffed and pushed himself into a sitting position all while trying not to show an ounce of pain. Dammit to hell and back. He recently got over a sprained knee that happened a bit before his birthday, and he was in no rush to be immobile any time soon. "I'm not old." There were days he felt it. He couldn't help but wonder if he had it in him to raise another child. He was pushing into his forties now and things were starting to creak and ache. Not the best condition to be chasing a toddler around the house. Maybe… Castle shook the memories from his head.

"Come on, old man." Alexis offered a hand to help him up. She didn't like the crease that formed between his brows, "What's wrong?"

Scoffing, Castle tried to play it off, "I'm wounded that my daughter things I'm old."

"You're a horrible liar, dad?"

Sighing, he started to rid himself of his gear, "I was just thinking if there is ever another little Castle running around the place."

Alexis followed her father's lead and relieved herself of her vest and goggles, "Are you two trying again?"

Again. The word echoed in the writer's head making pain shoot straight to his heart. As if one miscarriage wasn't enough for them to handle, the universe had to make them go through it again. He was starting to think that the universe was trying to tell them that maybe having a baby wasn't in the cards for them.

"I don't know if that's the exact way to put it." Castle started, "I think we are at the point that if it happens, then it happens. If not then we've talked about the possibility of adoption."

"Yeah?" Alexis's heart ached for her stepmother's anguish over the two miscarriages and the fact it seemed like motherhood was turning out to be no more than a fleeting thought for Beckett. However, Alexis found herself delighted that wasn't stopping her from being a mother to a child that needed it. "I think that's a great idea. Kate will be an amazing mom and we already know how great of a dad you are."

"It's still just talk at this point." His attention shifted to his ringing cell phone and smiled at the picture that popped up. "Well hello, Mrs. Castle. I was starting to think that I'd need to launch a rescue mission to save you from Gates' clutches."

Smiling, the redhead pressed her ear as close to the phone as she could, "Hi, Kate!"

"Alexis," Pleasure flooded the detective's voice, "What are you doing there?"

"Kicking Dad's butt in laser tag." Alexis informed.

"It was an unfair match." Castle whined.

"You're just saying that because you tripped over your own feet."

"The floor tripped me." Castle retorted with a frown, "It hates me."

Laughing, Beckett broke through their banter, "Don't you have class tonight."

Alexis loved the fact that Beckett cared enough to know her class load and days. "Got cancelled so I figured I'd come bother you and Dad to try to charm you guys out of a dinner."

"I should be back in time for dinner." A bit of rustling came through before Beckett spoke again, "I've got to go. Love you both!"

She hung up before Castle could say anything. Curious, he placed the phone back on the counter. "I wonder what Gates wanted from her."

Alexis knew that look on her father's face. If she didn't distract the man and soon, he would find an excuse to leave the loft only to end up at the station looking for answers. He was a writer after all. "C'mon, let's make something from scratch! I'm in the mood for some homemade chicken pot pies."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When Beckett started her day, she sure as hell didn't figure it would end with having a gun shoved in her face multiple times. Now, she was locked in a damn hotel room with nothing but her wits to try to figure a way out of this mess. She'd been lucky once with getting rid of the button wire before Harden could detect it. Flying by the seat of her pants was only going to work for so long. They were bound to find out she wasn't who she was pretending to be. Soon they were going to make her for a cop.

Looking around the room for something to pop out at her, Beckett silently wished that she'd ignored her boss's call this morning. She should be having dinner with her husband and stepdaughter. Laughing at nothing until her belly ached. Not in some hotel room with death and fate waiting for her on the other side of the locked door. It was no use. Short of breaking the window and jumping, Beckett had nothing. All she could do now was leave something behind. Something for the team to find if, god willing, they were able to trace her earlier phone call. And more importantly something for Castle. Something for her husband to know just in case.

After finding a pen and paper, Beckett took a moment to collect her thoughts before starting to write.

 _Dear Rick,_

 _I don't know how much time I have even to write this letter. What I do know now is that I'm in this and the only way I'm going to make it out alive is to see this through. I'm sure everyone is looking for me and if they figure out I was here CSU is going to search this house. They're going to look for blood and they will find it, which will lead them to this letter._

 _This is your letter, Babe. I pray that you'll never have to read it. That I can say all of these things to you in person. That I can tell you how much I love you. Or how you truly changed my life. I meant it when I said that the moment I met you, my life became extraordinary. When I look forward, you're always there. Always my constant. My touchstone. I never want to leave you, Rick. I wish I could redo this entire day and pick the outcome that has me in the safety of your embrace. You and Alexis are the best things in my life. I wouldn't trade a single moment we've had together for anything in the world. If this is my last words than please tell Alexis how much I love. Tell her how proud I am of the woman she is becoming. Tell her I'm sorry that I couldn't see her become a doctor. A wife. A mother. Tell her I'm sorry for letting her down._

 _I love you, Richard Castle. Being your friend, your partner, your wife, your soul mate and mother to your daughter has been the single greatest thing I've ever done with my life. I love you with all my heart._

 _Always_

Knowing she didn't have much time, the detective quickly skittered across to the room to the small air vent she managed to pry open. She folded it after putting her husband's name on it and placed it inside. She already went around the room leaving small droplets of blood in a trail to the letter. If anything was to happen to her, Beckett needed it to get to Castle. Needed him to know just one last time how much he changed her life. How much she loved him and their family. Hearing footsteps spurred Beckett into action to get the vent closed and on her feet before the door opened.

Harden's gaze swept around the room seeking to find something out of place to confirm his suspicion. When he found none he glared at Beckett, "Mr. Jones wants to see you."

Beckett kept her eyes leveled as she followed the man out the door.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo

Castle knew something was wrong. The moment the elevator door opened he just felt it. Felt the icy fingers of dread sink into his heart. That feeling only grew when he rounded the divider and found his wife's desk empty. Even her jacket was gone. His gaze zeroed in on the two male detectives, "You've been avoiding my calls." He stormed across the bullpen, "I know something is wrong. Kate wouldn't go this long with returning my calls."

Ryan casted a quick glance in his partner's direction, but didn't speak.

Esposito casted his gaze downwards.

A chill ran up the writer's spine. He seized Ryan by the man's vest, "Where is my wife?" He demanded with no plan to let the Irish detective go until he got some type of answer.

"Dad!" Having finally caught up, Alexis tried to pry her father's fingers off Ryan, "Let him go."

"Mr. Castle." Gates voice broke the tension quickly building, "Why don't you and Alexis come into my office."

Slowly, Castle released his friend with an apologetic look while his daughter placed a soothing hand on his arm. He let her guide him to the Captain's office fighting the urge to get sick. This wasn't supposed to be happening. He was supposed to be sitting at the dinner table being ganged up on by the women in his life. He wasn't supposed to be feeling terror ice his veins. God, was this what Beckett felt that night the cops showed up at her door after her mother hadn't shown up for dinner?

Alexis squeezed Castle's arm trying and failing to give him a reassuring smile before turning her attention to Gates. "Where is my mom?"

Hearing his daughter refer to Beckett as mom snapped Castle out of his haze. In the almost two years of marriage, Alexis only referred to her stepmother as mom only once. That's how he knew Alexis was just as frightened as he was. "What happened?"

Gates took a deep breath before explaining everything from the phone call to where they were now in locating the detective. She hated that with each word the writer deflated. "Traffic cam footage caught a white van heading away from the Wyndmark right when she was abducted. We think she was in it and we're trying to track it down. There are reasons for hope here."

"I'd love to hear it." Castle remarked trying to remain calm.

"First of all, they didn't make her as a cop. They think she's Elena Markov, which buys us time."

Alexis didn't see the so called hope in the captain's explanation. "She's pretending to be Elena when she doesn't know who Elena is? She can't keep that up forever."

Gates nodded in understanding, "Hopefully she won't-." She trailed off when Ryan poked his head in with news that none of them wanted to hear. Face grim, Gates lowered herself into her chair, "Do we know where she is?"

Ryan frowned, "No. Building's locked down. We've got teams going through but there's no sign of Elena."

Shoving a hand through his hair, Castle began to pace, "We still have no idea who this woman really is."

Fowler took this moment to join them in the office with a mixed expression. "I'm afraid we do. Security video shows her leaving her room alone and the officer's throat was cut in the same exact manner as the murdered drug dealers. Same angle, same left handed stroke, favoring the carotid."

"That's what those text messages meant about packages being delivered. She wasn't a courier for the ring." Gates concluded.

"She was their contract killer." Fowler confessed.

Alexis whirled on the police captain with a look that could kill. "A contract killer?" Ryan shifted towards Alexis most likely to hold her back if her anger turned physical. And the redhead was coming close. Cop or not, the man put her stepmother in a deadly situation. "That's who Kate is out there impersonating and you didn't know?

The male Captain squared his shoulders, "And just who are you?"

"I'm Kate's daughter." Alexis proudly informed. "And you are the idiot that sent her out into god knows what. Do you have any idea what's going to happen to my mother when the real Elena shows up?"

"Alexis-" Gates tried to intervene, but it was no use.

Fowler looked to the writer, "We're doing everything we can to find her."

Castle's face darkened with fury, "That's not enough! We have to find her before she gets killed."

Gates held up a hand to silence the argument when her phone began to ring. "Gates." There was a long pause before she spoke again, "Where?"


	2. 8 PM Interrogation

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Something was terribly wrong. Beckett felt it as Harden lead her down the dark hallway. Something bad awaited her and she had no way of getting away from it. They past a guard on the way in and Harden kept track of her out of the corner of his eye just waiting for her to do something to warrant shooting her. Beckett wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs struggling to keep her head clear. Maybe Potter made it to the 12th by now. Hopefully, the man listened to her, just in case the real Elena showed up and it would put the man six feet under. She couldn't really put any hope in Esposito figuring out her text message since Harden interrupted her before giving the full address. Her only saving grace with that was if the boys were able to track the phone by its GPS.

It was hard for her to tell just exactly where they were or even if they were in the same building as before. If anything, the GPS could lead them to the letter she left. That at least brought some amount of comfort for Beckett. She just hoped that she would get out of this mess and tell him everything in person.

Finally they reached the end of the hall and Harden pushed open a door. "In."

Shadows took over most of the room, but Beckett spotted the blood that someone was trying to wash down the drain. Swallowing hard, she pushed forward inside trying to make out anything else in the room to give her some sort of advantage.

"I apologize for the delay. I had to resolve a business matter."

Beckett couldn't see the man speaking except for two large blood covered hands and the towel he was using to clean it off. There was something about his voice that had the hairs on the back of her neck standing. "Of course."

"I don't usually do this, meet like this. But for you I'll make an exception. Between our needs and your skill set this could be a very profitable arrangement."

Beckett couldn't help it, but she hesitated before speaking again, "I agree." Damn it! Harden started shifting closer to her as if he sensed her resolve fading. This was going to get ugly and quick.

"Good. So, now that we've met, why don't we formalize our arrangement?" Simmons stepped out of the shadow and there was an instant moment of mutual recognition. "You're not Elena."

Shit! Shit! Beckett tried not to panic. What the hell had she gotten herself into? If Simmons was involved then she knew it was bad. Knew that it could be connected to him. Connected to her mother. Harden said something that went unnoticed by either her or Simmons.

"I know you."

"No." Her voice wavered a bit, "No you don't."

Simmons stepped closer to look at her better, "I never forget a face." The corner of his mouth curled, "Detective Beckett. Or should I say Castle now?"

Fuck! Cover blown, Beckett reached for the gun on her belt only to freeze when Harden pressed the barrel of his gun to her throat. This was bad. This was very very bad.

"Homicide." Simmons took Beckett's gun fully grinning now. "Out of the Twelfth. Last time I saw you, you tried to put me through a wall. Accused me of murdering your momma. And from the look on her face, she remembers me. Don't you, Detective?"

Beckett remained silent.

"Where is your protector? I hear that you married him." Simmons laughed when Beckett's emotions betrayed her. "I hope that you said a proper goodbye to your beloved husband, Detective. I'll be sure to send him some flowers when your body washes up."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A fake murder. Whatever Fowler got Beckett involved in couldn't be good. The man's story made Castle all the more desperate to find his wife. All he could do was follow the breadcrumbs she was leaving behind. Well, the boys were anyways. Gates instructed him to remain at the station as he was far too close to use a clear head. Sitting in his chair, Castle agonizingly waited for an update. What if she was already dead? The question made the writer burry his face in his hands. He couldn't lose her. Not now. Not ever. The woman was his lifeline. His rock. His everything.

"Here," Alexis offered a cup of coffee to her father. When he just shrugged it off, she forced his fingers to wrap around the ceramic mug. "You can't be driving yourself crazy like this, Dad. Kate is resourceful."

The way the detective handled faking Potter's death proved that. But there was only so many resources that Beckett had to pull from before she ran out. Since they just threw her into this mess without much a briefing, she had very little knowledge of the real Elena. Hell they still were trying to figure out who the hell the woman truly was.

"I should." Castle scrubbed a hand over his face, "I should call Jim. He needs to know what's going on."

Alexis agreed, but felt like all the phone call would do was make Jim panic without any reassurance. They needed more to go on before contacting him. "We should wait." She suggested and her father didn't put up much of an argument. "Until Ryan and Esposito comes back. They might have more information."

Castle nodded in agreement thankful that Alexis somehow managed to keep a level head through all this. His head was a mess leaving no room for rational thoughts or hope. The only thing that processed was the fact that his wife was missing, in danger, and possibly dead somewhere in this god forsaken city. They'd been lucky in the past. Some small clue would pop up or pieces of the puzzle would fall into place. It seemed that their luck was running out.

Alexis heard the ding of the elevator and looked up hopeful as the doors slid open. "They're back."

He shot to his feet, placing Beckett's mug carefully on her desk "Did you find her?"

Esposito's face turned grim, "The hotel is a rent by the hour type. The manager did recall seeing a woman come in matching Beckett's description being escorted by a man. They left not long after they arrived with no sign of where they were going. Sorry, man."

Castle deflated, "Did he say if she was hurt? Being held against her will?"

"He said she looked fine and that she didn't attempt to signal or alert him that anything was wrong." Esposito knew that gave very little comfort.

"So you found nothing?" Castle demanded.

Ryan stepped in before Castle's temper got the best of him, "There was some blood."

"Blood." Alexis grasped her father's arm for support.

"Very little. Like it had been planted and it was." Ryan withdrew a letter from the inside pocket of his jacket. Swallowing hard, he held it out so the name printed on its front faced upward. He and Esposito's arm shot out to keep Castle up right.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Simmons held the detective's head underwater. Beckett struggled trying to break free of the man's grasp. Her lungs burned. God did they burn in protest of taking water and not what it needed. Her hands were bound behind her back leaving her helpless to do anything more than fight with her upper body strength to break the surface of the water. Just when she was sure that she was going to pass out, Simmons pulled her head free. Beckett sucked in water the moment she could.

"Let's do without all this Kabuki Theater, Detective. It's undignified." He repositioned his chair smiling as the woman did her best to cough up the water in her lungs. Twisting his hand in her wet hair, he shoved her forward so her face was just mere inches from the surface of the water. "Tell me what I want to know and I'll give you a proper death without all this messy suffering."

"Fuck you." Beckett spoke in between short gasps.

"Now that's not appropriate language for a woman. Does your husband let you talk like that to him?" At the mention of the writer, Simmons felt Beckett jerk obviously hitting a nerve. "What was your mission and what do they know about Lazarus?"

She looked up between the dripping wet strands of hair that blocked most of her vision, "Fuck you." Beckett repeated this time with vitality. It only made the man laugh. Twisting her hands in hopes to loosen the restraints, Beckett snarled at Simmons, "Do you want undignified? Then wait 'til you see what I do to you."

"You know, you're just like your momma. Both playing in worlds where you don't belong."

Screaming in rage, terror, and possibly a thousand other different emotions, Beckett launched herself over the tub towards Simmons. Harden stopped her with a heavy blow to the face before she could reach her mark. Beckett's head bounced off the edge of the tub before she hit the ground with a groan of pain. Blood instantly poured into her left eye as her face throbbed. If she didn't think of something and fast then there was no way she'd walk away from this. She'd never see her husband's smile again. Never hear Alexis' laugh or Martha's singing. She was going to die here in this dark and dismal room, alone and afraid. Just like her mother. Tears burned the back of her throat at the thought of the fact that Castle must be going crazy with worry after not showing up for dinner.

Simmons wrenched Beckett up and dropped her onto the chair. "Your momma paid for it with her life. So will you."

Beckett tried to prepare herself as Simmons shoved her head under the water. Water filled her nose and lungs, burning all the way down. He didn't have her under long. Spitting up water, Beckett cried out as Simmons tightened his grip on her wet hair.

"Your husband must be going out of his mind worrying about where you are." Simmons whispered just loud enough to be heard over the woman's heavy breathing. "Tell me what I want to know and I'll make sure I don't mess you up to much when I kill you."

Her heart ached as Castle's face filled her mind. She was thankful that the droplets of water streaking down her face masked the tears of anguish. Regardless if she spoke or not, Simmons already had her death mapped out. That didn't mean she wasn't going to fight until she had nothing left. Her family was waiting for her to come. And god willing, she would make it through this.

Simmons slammed the detective's head against the lip of the tub splitting open the skin along her cheekbone wide open. "This can all be over if you just tell me what I want to know."

Beckett remained silent.

"Bad choice," Simmons informed, "Just means I'll have to try that sweet stepdaughter of yours. See what you'll tell me then when I run her through-."

For the second time, Beckett lunged forward, "You son of a bitch! You leave h-." He shoved her head under in mid sentence leaving her no choice but to choke down the water flooding in her mouth and through her nose. Her body rejected the action and Beckett began to cough making her take even more water in. She stopped struggling. There was no point to it. Her lungs were already full of water and it seemed like only a matter of time before the darkness claimed her. She didn't even have strength to gasp in air when Simmons pulled her up. She slumped forward, the man's grip on her hair the only thing keeping her from going back face first into the water.

"You know your lungs are burning. I can feel the panic in your soul. All you want is for this to end. And I promise I will end it and let your love ones claim your body. Just tell me what I want to know."

Her head lolled to the side too out of it to comprehend what he said and unable to muster a response. Not her family. This man would not hurt her family. She kept them in the front of her mind clinging to it like a life vest to keep her from being swept under.

Disgusted, Simmons threw her to the ground and she crumbled at Harden's feet. "Find a patch of dirt to put her in, somewhere where she won't be found." Simmons reached for his jacket, "They'll never have the comfort of putting you to rest. You're going to die just like your momma. Cold and alone."

Beckett couldn't manage anything other than a shallow cough.

"Get her out of here."

Grinning, Harden pulled the limp detective up. "Let's go for a nice little walk, shall we."

Not much registered to Beckett. Harden was dragging her through the dark woods, her hands were bound behind her back, and she was gagged. The man kept talking, but all that did get through was how cold and bone tired she was. She barely had the strength to put one foot in front of another. Why didn't he just kill her? This place was as good as any.

"I love these woods. My daddy used to take me hunting up here when I was a kid. I spent days learning every rock, every tree. All the secret little places to hide. Over the years it's come in handy." He catches her foot with his own sending her pitching forward down the steep hill.

There was nothing Beckett could do to stop herself. She hit the earth at full speed sending shockwaves of pain through her body. It felt like forever before she came to a stop face first in the mud unable to move or even breathe.

Watching her for a moment, Harden yanked Beckett to her knees when she made no move to get up. Her face was covered in mud and blood from the gashes along her cheekbone and brow. "You know, I had you made from the moment you walked through the door. I could see it in your eyes. I thought, no way is this woman a killer." He removed the blood soaked gag. "Go ahead and scream if you like. No one will hear you."

Screaming took too much of an effort. Instead, Beckett made a last ditch effort to save her life. "You don't want to kill me, Harden." Her voice was hoarse, "You know I'm a cop."

Harden shrugged at the information, "I've killed cops before."

"My people will hunt you down." Castle would not stop until he found the man responsible for her death. Knowing that made Beckett's blood turn to ice. She wouldn't be the reason Alexis lost her father. "They will kill you. But we can make a deal. You help me take down Lazarus and you can set any deal you want."

"Nah, I'm good with the deal I've got, thank you."

Well shit. Beckett slumped forward out of options. The only thing left to do was face her death with dignity. Conjuring up an image of her husband, Beckett held her head up high not flinching at the gun in her face.

Then something happened. Beckett was too sluggish to process everything, but she heard a click, a grunt, and then a thud as Harden crumbled to the ground. Blood began to pool on the wet leaves from the gaping wound on the man's neck. Her gaze flickered to the unknown figure looming over the dead man's body.

"Elena." Beckett breathed unsure if this was her chance to survive or another chance to die.

"You've got balls, I'll give you that Detective. I hope Lazarus knows just what type of woman he's playing with."

Beckett's injured brow shot up in surprise, "You're not going to kill me?"

"Nope," Elena kept on walking, "He sent me because he owed you. He said he wanted you to live."

And just like that the woman was gone.

A sob of relief tore from her throat. She made it. How and why her life was spared, she wasn't sure. And for the moment that was okay. Later she would figure out what happened. But for now she chose to focus on the fact she could make it home to her family.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Kate!" Alexis shot across the bullpen.

The sound of her stepdaughter's voice, snapped Beckett out of her haze. Her body ached everywhere, but that didn't stop Beckett from meeting Alexis halfway, opening her arms, and stumbled under the force of Alexis's embrace. Blanket still wrapped around her, Beckett held onto the redhead like a vise.

"It's okay." Words of comfort were mixed in with tears of joy to be able to hold Alexis again. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

"I thought… I…" Alexis cried into her stepmother's neck unable to get the words out.

Beckett stroked a hand over the young woman's red hair, "I know. I'm sorry to put you through that."

"I'm just glad that you're okay."

"We both are."

Beckett's gaze shot to her husband's worried face. She wants to reach out and touch him, but she's rooted to the spot her mind still unsure if this was actually real. Alexis shifts in her arms distracting her for a moment and not seeing Castle's hand reaching for her cheek. Still somewhat in shock, Beckett jerked back from his touch expecting pain. Safe. She was safe. This was real. She glances at the hand inches from her cheek then to his face letting herself be drawn by his comfort.

Castle skimmed a hand over her uninjured cheek before pulling both women into his arms. He felt Beckett's shudder against him as she lets out the sobs he knew she'd been fighting the moment Alexis was in her arms. He pressed his face into her slightly damp hair letting all his fears and worries be washed away by the feel of her body against his. "You're safe." He tightened his hold on them, "You're home."

Beckett's fingers dug into the back of his shirt to anchor her, "I'm so sorry, Rick. I should have run off like that. I didn't… I didn't know."

"It's done, baby." Castle assured, "I've got you now." And he had no intention of letting her go anytime soon.

Soaking up their comfort, Beckett pressed her face into Alexis's hair peppering her crown with soft kisses. She had come so close to losing all of this. All this love and comfort. What scared her more was the feeling that this wasn't over. Simmons would figure out she lived. The drug lord had connections. Powerful connections. "Take me home, Rick."

Castle glanced back at the captain who motioned silently with a nod of her head towards the breakroom. He sighed, "Gates need to talk to you."

Beckett shook her head in understanding and dutifully made her way to her captain with Alexis in her arm flush to her side.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

 _Future Forward_

Beckett sat on the floor of the living room watching the man she most despised boost about himself in front of a half dozen reporters. Though there was no proof, Beckett knew that Bracken sent Elena to kill Harden. But why? Why spare her life when he didn't spare her mother's? As far as the Senator knew, she held all the cards that at any moment she could lay them down and expose his dirty secrets. So why?

Castle leaned against the doorjamb of his office to study his wife. Thankfully, the color had returned to her face and she no longer seemed shell shocked. Lanie dragged her to the hospital where it took a total of twenty stitches to close the gash along her left brow and cheekbone. She also had two bruised ribs, a sprained ankle, and slight hyperthermia. Gates put her on medical leave for a week maybe two if she saw fit. To his surprise, Beckett didn't argue. That's how Castle knew that the experience shook his wife to the bone. Now, looking at Bracken on the screen, he knew why. He'd spent many restless nights wondering when this particular case would come back into their lives.

"Alexis gone?" Castle asked.

Beckett didn't draw her attention away from the TV, "No. I convinced her and Jeremy to stay here tonight." There was no way she was going to let them stay in her old apartment. People might be coming for her and she'd be damn if they touched anyone she loved to get to her.

"He's involved, Rick." Beckett tore her gaze from the screen to look at her husband. "I know it, but I can't prove it."

"He's made a mistake with Simmons." Castle lowered himself onto the floor next to her, "He's bound to make more. We just have to find them."

The 'we' made Beckett's heart lurch in terror, "We agreed to leave it alone. I made the deal to keep you and Alexis safe. I won't risk them coming after you."

Castle set his jaw to control the surge of anger at how Beckett came to make such a deal. After tonight, the last thing he wanted was to get into an argument with her. In truth, he wanted this whole mess to go away. On the other hand, Castle knew how important it was for Beckett to take down the man responsible for her mother's murder. He needed to give her that closure. "What if…" Castle mulled over a few ideas in his head, "What if we hired someone to trail Simmons and maybe Bracken."

"What?"

"There are private investigators that do more than catch cheating spouses. I have a few in mind I used for book research."

Of course he did. Beckett was learning that her husband had friends of every shape and size nearly all over the world. "There is a risk."

"But nowhere near the risk if we investigate." He took her hands, his thumb stroking over her knuckles, "I can't go through this again, Kate. When you called and told us that Simmons had you, I about lost it. Bracken will see it as you going back on your word. We need to go after him before he tries to get to you.

Beckett tilted her brow to his, "Okay." She touched a hand to his stubbly cheek. His blue eyes were full of love laced with worry. She tried to imagine what he went through these past eighteen hours by putting herself in his shoes. She hoped that he would have used the same tactic she used to make it through it all. "When they were interrogating me, the only thing that kept me going was thinking about you. About our future, our family. You were with me the whole time."

Castle cupped the back of her head in his hand, bringing her lips to his. "I want to take you away for a few days. To just leave all of this behind. I was thinking maybe a trip to the Hamptons or maybe Europe-."

"I can't fly."

His brow scrunched in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Wanting to see his face, Beckett drew away with a smile on his face, "I'm pregnant."

The writer sputtered, "What?"

"Lanie told me at the hospital when you went to get Alexis."

Amazed, Castle laid his hand over his wife's flat stomach. There was a terror coursing through him, but he tried to keep it from his voice. "Is it okay? How far along are you?"

Beckett had to place a finger over his lips to stop his rambling of questions, "I'm about three months. Lanie can't say for sure if today harmed him. I was going to call the doctor in the morning."

"It's okay." Castle whispered in hope. It had to be. Losing another child would just be too much for either of them to handle. His head jerked up, "Three months? Did you know-."

"No." Beckett quickly replied knowing anger was about to follow for being stupid enough to go out in the field with her history. "My period was light so I didn't even suspect."

"Three months?"

"Yes." Tears of joy flooded her voice, "maybe four. I'll know more once I go to the doctor."

Now hope was washing away the terror, "We've never gotten this far." Tears of his own streaked down his face as he pulled her tight against him. "We're going to make it this time, Kate."

Beckett placed her hand over the one resting on her stomach, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Look who's up!" Castle looked up from the skillet he was making French toast in and gave his daughter a smile and then Jeremy a slightly harden look of disapproval. Not that he really was. Jeremy was a good man for his daughter. The aspiring police officer left class the moment that Alexis finally called to tell him what was going on.

Alexis grumbled still half asleep, "Morning." She came up behind her stepmother and gave her a tight hug before dropping her head onto Beckett's shoulder. "Can I have a cup of coffee? You make the best coffee, Kate."

Laughing, Beckett nudged Alexis, "I'll have to make a pot, but sure."

Alexis's head shot up in wonder and looked at the coffee pot. Sure enough there was none made and it looked like no coffee at all had been run through. That was odd.

"How are you feeling, Kate?" Jeremy asked after giving the detective a gentle hug.

"Sore." Beckett confessed munching on a piece of bacon Castle slid onto her plate. The moment the piece of food hit her stomach it rebelled and she dropped it as if it burned her.

Jeremy's green eyes filled with concern, "Kate?"

She waved in 'I'm all right gesture' while struggling to keep what food she had in her stomach down. Being pregnant explained all those small bouts of nausea she'd experience. Beckett just chalked it up to her lack of eating and mood after losing the baby. Thankfully, her stomach settled without having to rush to the bathroom.

Suddenly a huge smile crossed the redhead's face as she hugged Beckett again with all her might. "Oh!" She let go when the detective made a tiny noise of pain. "Sorry! But why didn't you guys tell me."

Castle tried to play innocent, "Tell you what."

"That's you're pregnant."

"How'd-."

"The no coffee." Alexis explain, "Kate never goes without coffee unless the world is coming to an end. I can't believe it."

Castle barely had time to step away from the stove before his daughter all but tackled him in a tight hug. "Hey, easy now."

Alexis pulled away beaming, "I'm so happy. How far along are you? When did you find out? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm between three and four months along. I found out last night at the hospital which is the reason we didn't tell you because we haven't had the chance." Beckett answered in the same order of the questions asked. "We are going to the doctor today to make sure that everything is okay. So might not want to get too excited just yet."

The warning didn't stop Alexis from bursting with joy. "It's always been in the first month. Doesn't this mean that there is a good chance that everything is fine?"

"That's what we hope to find out today." Castle informed turning back to making breakfast.

"Can I come?" The question took the married couple by surprise. "I want to be there to find out."

It took a moment for Beckett to regain the ability to talk. She had thought that Alexis might feel some type of apprehension to her having a child since it had been just Castle and Alexis for so long. "I would like it very much if you'd come."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Are you ready?" Tara, Beckett's OBGYN, asked the couple with the ultrasound wand in hand. Her voice was heavy with emotions having been through this with them once before only to give them bad news.

Beckett looked over before grabbing her husband's hand. The warm touch helped calm her nerves. "Ready."

Castle leaned forward placed his arm behind Beckett's head so he could view the small screen better. The time passed so slowly as Tara moved the wand over Beckett's stomach causing the picture to flicker between black and white. He tried his hardest to not let his mind start to go down a dark path when it seemed that Tara wasn't going to find anything but another empty womb. Castle found himself praying that wasn't the case. They couldn't go through this all again. Not for a third time. It would just destroy them.

"Oh look."

Alexis's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he refocused on the screen. Tears instantly filled his eyes as he hugged his arm around his wife's shoulder. "Kate."

The detective was far too overwhelmed to speak.

A smile bloomed across Tara's face, looking towards the trio, "See this right here." She pointed to a small rapid moving black spec near the arms of the fetus. "That's his heartbeat."

"His?" Castle echoed choking back a sob, "You can tell this early?"

"Oh yes." Tara laughed and pointed to another part of the screen that helped her determined the sex. "You're most definitely having a boy."

"You hear that, baby," Castle cupped her cheek to turn her face towards his. He gave her a searing kiss paying no mind to the fact that they weren't alone. "We're having a boy."

Beckett let out a watery laugh and pulled him back for another. Tears poured down her face in relief as she let go of all the worries that kept her up all night. They weren't completely out of the woods and she knew that there was still a risk of losing the baby, but right now all that she focused on was the joy.

Tara let them have their moment while she finished up with taking the pictures and measurements with the ultrasound that she needed. "You're just over four months along." Tara's news broke the couple apart. ."I know you said you were spotting, but what I can see is you're in no danger of losing the baby. But with your history we need to monitor you and you should be put on desk duty immediately. There might be more restrictions as you progress through the pregnancy."

Beckett nodded ready to do anything and everything to make sure that her son came into this world. "If the spotting doesn't stop?"

"We will have to see what happens." Tara softly explained not wanting to give the detective too much cause to worry. She tore two pictures from the machine and offered it to the expecting parents. "I want you to focus that your son is healthy and everything is okay. Worrying will put stress on you and the baby. And you need to start taking prenatal vitamins today."

Beckett gazed down at the grainy picture of the life growing inside her and listened to every single instruction the doctor gave her committing them to memory. Even if she had to be strapped down to the bed, she would do it. "Thank you." Beckett looked up to smile at Tara. "Thank you so much."

Tara touched the hand on her arm, "We're going to do whatever it takes to get you through this, Kate. Listen to your family as they help you through this too. Now I'll go get Alexis so you can share the good news."

Once they were alone, Castle brushed his nose against Beckett's smiling like an idiot. "We're going to have a boy, Kate. Thank you." He choked down a sob, "Thank you for giving me this gift."

Beckett brushed her fingers over his chin as she lifted her mouth to his. "Thank you for not letting me give up."


	3. 11 AM Irritation

Hopefully you guys enjoyed this small snippet of a story

* * *

Beckett hated bed rest. Going on her third week, she was more than ready for her son to come out and allow her to go more than just a few steps to the damn bathroom. She didn't complain though. Well not much anyways and she saved it mostly for her husband. The man was a saint and had the patience to go along with it. Everything she needed, Castle got it. The writer even spent every moment he could by her side whether that meant watching crappy movies, reading to her, pitching story lines, or simply lying next to her while she groaned about her restrictions. If it was possible, Beckett fell even more in love with her husband each day that passed.

"How about Joseph." Castle lay sideways on the bed so his feet dangled off the side and his head rested in his wife's lap. He looked up when she ran her fingers through his hair, "Or Henry."

Beckett wrinkled her nose, "No."

The corner of his mouth lifted, "You know that we have to pick soon, right? Doc says you can go into labor any day now."

"Well I hope that day comes sooner rather than later." Beckett mumbled rubbing her swollen stomach. "Oh."

Castle jolted upright in the bed, his smile gone and replaced with worry. "What is it? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Rick. Calm down." Laughing, Beckett guided her husband's hand where hers had been a moment before. "He's kicking."

The pressure under his palm had Castle's expression changing again from worry to wonder. He felt the tears start to burn in the back of his throat, "He's strong."

"I think he likes the sound of your voice." Beckett reached up to wipe a lone tear from the writer's cheek. "He's always active when you read to me."

"Knock. Knock." Alexis called out slowly inching her way into the bedroom. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Alexis come quickly." Beckett beckoned wanting her to experience the moment as well.

Alexis darted across the room and all but shoved her father off the bed to take his place. "That's so cool." The future doctor looked down at her stepmother's stomach in complete wonder.

Beckett laughed at the utter delight on Alexis's face. She had also been another saving grace for Beckett surviving the last three weeks without going crazy or killing someone. Every day after class, Alexis would hang out with her until Jeremy came home from his class. They would watch reruns of Temptation Lane, eat ice cream, and just talk about nothing and everything for hours. Beckett cherished the time with her stepdaughter because soon life was going to get a whole lot crazier for all of them.

"Still arguing about names?" Alexis asked making room for her father as she shifted to lie down on the other side of Beckett. She pillowed her head on Beckett's shoulder laughing at the face she was making. "What did he suggest this time? Edgar?"

"That was last night." Beckett replied.

"There is nothing wrong with that name." Castle deafened with a small pout. "What's wrong with Joseph?"

"It just doesn't seem to go very well with Alexander." She explained, "What's your grandfather's name?"

"Angus." Castle shyly confessed, "We are so not naming our son Angus. He will never forgive us."

"Neither will I!" Alexis added looking up at Beckett, "What's your grandfather's name, Kate?"

"My dad's father was named Frances, but he died before I was born so I didn't get to know him." Beckett's eyes softened, "Mom's was named Nathaniel and he would always sneak me sweets to defy my dad. He was just a little bitter about Dad taking mom away from him. He got me into books by reading to me as many bedtime stories I wanted whenever he came to visit."

Castle propped his head on his hand, "I like Nathaniel."

"Yeah?" Beckett asked surprised.

He nodded, "I really like the fact that it's a way to honor your mother as well."

Beckett placed her arms around her swollen stomach with a teary smile. More than anything she wished her mother was here to experience this life event with her. "She would have loved this." Glancing back and forth between the two Castles, Beckett couldn't stop the stream line of tears. "Love both of you. Love the family that we created and all the memories we made. Thank you."

"Never thank us for loving you, Kate." Alexis placed her hand on Beckett's stomach and her father covered it. "We're family. Aren't we little Nate."

Her unborn brother took that moment to kick causing the redhead to jolt back. Castle laughed so hard that he slid off the bed with a loud thud. These were the moments that he lived for. That etched into the back of his mind so he could never forget.

"Oh!"

"Haha, Kate." Castle pushed to his feet, "Are you going to see how many times you can freak your husband out? Do you want-."

"Dad!"

Castle's gaze shot to his doubled over wife, "Kate." Humor gone, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder using his body to support her back. "What is it?

Alexis swallowed at the wetness soaking into the sheets and bed. "Keep breathing," She instructed lifting up the edge of the blanket fearing she would find blood. Her heart filled with relief, "Your water broke. Dad I want you to get the bag and put it by the door before pulling the car around."

Castle pressed a tender kiss to Beckett's temple, "Everything is going to be okay, Baby. Just stay calm and listen to Alexis."

Once Castle was out of the room, Beckett's hand clamped down on her stepdaughter's hand struggling to control her breathing as pain tore through her. "I'm only thirty six weeks, Lex."

Alexis did her best to sooth the terror from Beckett's face, "You're close to thirty seven which is perfectly safe to deliver a baby. I want you to concentrate on your breathing, Kate. Just focus on that and let me know when the contraction stops."

"No blood." Beckett was in far too much pain to look herself.

"No blood."

"Okay. Okay." A frazzled Castle entered the room, "Bag is by the door and car is being brought around. I called mother and Jim. I'll call the boys when we get to the hospital. Is it safe for her to walk, Alexis?"

"It actually might help."

Castle slid his arm around his wife's waist helping her onto her shaking feet once the contraction stopped. He instructed his daughter to fetch a fresh shirt from the drawers while working on the buttons of his shirt that Beckett stole some time during her pregnancy. He gave her a smile that lit up her entire face, "We're finally going to meet our baby boy." All of the heartache and pain of trying the last two years faded away because it all lead to this. To them being more in love and stronger than ever.

Smiling through the pain, Beckett cupped the back of his neck to balance himself as Castle switched out the damp shirt for a fresh one. "Rick, honey, I love you, but for the love of god get me to the hospital."

Laughing, he planted a soft kiss on her nose, "Yes, Ma'am."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Breathe." Castle coaxed from his spot on the hospital bed that positioned him behind his wife to help support her during pushing.

"I'm breathing." Beckett seethed reaching up and winding her arm to anchor her fingers in the short hairs on the back of his neck. Tara told her to break and she slumped gratefully against the writer's chest. "He's a stubborn one."

Smiling, Castle brushed her sweat matted hair from her brow, "Just like you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you." Castle confirmed on a laugh, "Never afraid to argue, never backing down or relenting. Taking years to take those walls around your heart and give into what it was saying."

"Regret the challenge, Mr. Castle?"

Castle peppered kisses along the arm curled around his neck, "Not a single moment. You were worth it all."

"I changed my mine." Beckett managed between her gritted teeth working through another contraction.

Castle barked out a laugh, "It's a little too late for that, my love. The baby is nearly here."

"No, not that." Beckett laughed wincing, "Don't make me laugh you idiot."

"Sorry."

"I want Alexis to be here." They had agreed to make the redhead wait with the rest of the family just in case something went wrong during the birth. To Beckett it felt like something was missing to make this moment perfect. Alexis needed to be here helping welcome her new brother into the world. "Go get her."

"Quickly." Tara advised looking up at the pair, "Nathan isn't going to wait much longer."

One of the nurses quickly bolted out of the room returning shortly with Alexis in tow.

Beckett reached out a hand for her stepdaughter and pulled Alexis close when she took it. She wanted to say something, but Tara told her to push. With the two Castles at her side soothing and chanting her on, she pushed with all the strength she had left. The world started to dim around her. She focused on the pain because it meant that she was alive. Her son would make it into this world if it was the last thing she did. Would he have Castle's eyes? Her smile? Her shade of brown hair or Castle's? Would he have his father's sense of childlike wonder? Would he be healthy? Would he know how much he was loved?

Her husband's lips pressing over and over against her temple brought Beckett out of her haze. Through the roar of noise, she heard Castle telling her he loved her with sobs of joy caught in his throat mixed with the wailing of a newborn. Relief came rushing in, "Is he okay? Is he okay?"

Castle let Alexis take his place supporting Beckett to look at the bloody newborn wiggling like a fish in Tara's hands. He waited for the doctor's conformation, "He's fine. He's okay." Castle carefully cradled his swaddled son in his arms. He was tiny, but had one hell of a kick and lungs of a banshee. Just looking everything seemed to be in place. To be sure, Castle peeked under the sheet, "He's perfect."

"Let me see him." Beckett softly commanded enthralled by the look on her husband's tear streaked face.

He leaned down to give his wife a heavy kiss full of love, admiration, and praise. "Thank you." He whispered, sniffling as he laid their son across her chest.

"He's beautiful." Alexis pressed her cheek against Beckett's hair smiling from ear to ear overwhelmed by power of the moment.

Beckett blinked the tears from her vision not wanting to miss a moment. Her son continued to wail and shake his tiny fists in obvious disdain of his new surroundings. She counted his toes, fingers, and like her husband, took a peek under the sheet to make sure that everything was where it should be. All the pain. All the heartache and tears faded into nothingness. It had all been worth it. Pressing her lips to Nate's small brow, she instantly fell in love. "Welcome to the world, Nathanial Alexander Castle."

The boy started to quiet at the sound of her voice and latched onto her with his small blue eyes.

Castle let Nate grasp his finger, "Welcome son."

"Hey there, little brother." Alexis choked back tears, "I want you to know something very important."

"Here," Beckett shifted so that Nate rested half in Alexis' arms and half in hers.

Alexis stoked a hand over her brother's tiny crown, "You hit the lottery, kid. You got the best parents in the world and a big sister that is going to teach you the ways to drive them up the wall. Most of all, you're loved by many and will always be there for you and protect you no matter the cost." She tilted her head towards Beckett's, "Thank you, Mom. For letting me be here for this."

"You're just as much my daughter, as Nate is my son." Beckett explained kissing her stepdaughter's cheek. "Never forget that."

A soft click of a shutter had Castle looking up to. Having left it on the table, Tara picked up his phone to snap off a couple of photos. Castle gave her a grateful smile before turning his attention back to his family. It was definitely a picture perfect moment.

* * *

So what did you guys think?


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